District 68 District Deputy s Report - March

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1 District 68 District Deputy s Report - March Ernie Sobczak, Jr. District Deputy Home / Cell at eesjr525@yahoo.com District Website: Membership: We are at 664 members in District 68. Looking at our recruitment goals for the year we are at a gain of three against a goal of 31 for membership and a loss of two against a goal of 13 for insurance members. Council goals are shown below: Membership Insurance Council Quota Gain Loss Net Quota Gain Loss Net Members Don t forget the Officers Challenge, which allows the council officers to lead by example. If each officer recruits one new member and the council reports the results during the fraternal year, the council receives 26,000 VIP points to be used at the council's discretion. The points can be used to purchase Knights of Columbus merchandise. Remember there are two steps: first, recruit the new members and second, complete the form 450-C to report the degree. Keep carrying your Form 100 and keep asking your friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners to join us in the Knights of Columbus. If you ask enough men, some will say yes. If you don t ask anyone, no one will say yes! One member, per council, per month! State Charity Raffle Tickets: The drawing for the State Charity Raffle takes place at the State Deputy s Dinner at the state convention. Therefore, all tickets need to be in by then. Please send in tickets early enough to arrive the week before the convention, or bring them to the convention to turn them in. In past years, at least one council not from our district sent their tickets in late and they did not arrive before Mark Wagner left for the convention. Needless to say, those tickets did not make it in for the drawing. Allow enough time for mailing there is a reason it is called snail mail. In the meantime, we need to continue to work on selling those raffle tickets. The goal is for each council to sell five tickets per member. These funds support the charitable works of the Wisconsin State Council. In the past, we have seen grants distributed to causes and those in need within our own district. It is imperative that each council work to meet their goal for sales of tickets in order to support the work of the State Charity Fund.

2 A good source of information about the Charity Fund is the Wisconsin K of C State Website, click on (Wisconsin Programs), then under the Community subgroup click on (Charity) for information about our Charity Fund that should be shared with all of our members and their families. This is an ideal topic for the Grand Knights to share at the councils meetings and also be presented in the council s newsletters. State Convention Information: Just a reminder, be sure to get your reservations in as soon as possible. We are getting very near the deadline of March 15 th. Please be sure to send at least two delegates from your council to the convention. Each council may have two delegates the Grand Knight and a Past Grand Knight - as well as two alternate delegates. Alternates can be any third degree member. Only two delegates and/or alternates may vote on behalf of the council. The delegate certification should be in by March 15 th. Also due by March 15 th are the convention pre-registration forms, the In Memoriam sheet of deceased members, and any advertising forms. Councils are encouraged to invite their Chaplains to attend the convention, to make reservations and pay for the Chaplain s room, to pay the cost of any events the Chaplain may wish to attend, and to make sure that the Chaplain s pre-registration form is sent to the State Office by March 15 th. The District 68 ad is in process for the convention booklet. Thank you to all the councils that have given me their check for the ad. Also, I truly appreciate the stipends provided by the councils to help defray the District Deputy s expenses. DDs pay all their own expenses for the convention including hosting the district hospitality, so I do appreciate the stipends the councils provide for this purpose. Thank you again. Also, don t forget that new this year is the Council Charity Grant Request Form Form CCGF included in the convention packet. As discussed earlier, and at the District Meeting, changes to the State Charity Raffle required by the State of Wisconsin Gaming Commission mean that councils will no longer receive a rebate/refund based on council ticket sales. However, 65% of the proceeds from the raffle are being set aside for council charitable giving. In order to receive its share of this pool of funds, your council must file the Form CCGF by May 1 st. Also, this grant MUST be deposited in a SEPARATE charity account for your council. It cannot be comingled with council funds in any way! Please be sure to file the form in a timely fashion and be sure to set up a separate charity account for your council if your council does not already have one. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Men of Christ Conference: The annual Men of Christ Conference is on Saturday, March 15 th at the Milwaukee Theater downtown. This event is open to all men and fathers are encouraged to bring their sons. Some of the councils in our district are sponsoring groups to attend this event. More information is available at Tootsie Roll Drive: The order for our district is in and the expected shipping date is March 15 th. If they come in sooner, I will bring them along to the March meetings. If not I will bring them along to the April business meetings. If your council needs them earlier than your April business meeting, please let me know so that we can make other arrangements.

3 Thank you to Bruce Hodge, Past Grand Knight of Thomas Aquinas Council #8172 in Waterford, for providing a delivery point for the district s order. Orderwide Outreach Week - March 22-30: In honor of our founder, Venerable Father Michael McGivney, the Supreme Council is encouraging all councils to conduct outreach programs March 22-30, the week that encompasses Founder s Day (March 29). What better way for the Knights of Columbus to show they still follow Father McGivney s devotion to helping people in need than by providing outreach to those less fortunate than ourselves in our parishes and communities? The Order has many programs in place to assist people who need our help. If hunger is an issue in your community, consider conducting a Food for Families program such as a food drive, or preparing and serving a meal at a soup kitchen. If warm weather comes early to your area, late March might be the perfect time to take part in a Habitat for Humanity building project. Of course, programs like the Order s Ultrasound Initiative and Special Olympics can be conducted during this Outreach Week or at any time during the year. Please visit kofc.org/service for additional ideas on specific programs your council might conduct. Councils do an outstanding job of assessing needs in their individual communities and developing programs to meet those needs, so you should in no way limit yourself to the program ideas referenced here or on the website. Whatever your council chooses to do, the important thing is that each and every council does something to make life better in its parish and community. While your council is conducting outreach programs during this week and throughout the year, it is important to remember that every program represents a membership recruitment opportunity. A great way to convince a prospect to join the Order or to get a current member to be more active in the council is to invite him to participate in a program that allows him to put his faith into action. Men join the Order to be active, and council programs give them the opportunity to do exactly that. Day of the Unborn Child: With the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child soon approaching on March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation), Knights have the opportunity to stand up and speak out against the evil of abortion. All members of the Order are encouraged to hold a special prayer service in council meeting places or local parishes. When celebrating the Day of the Unborn Child, councils are encouraged to conduct a pro-life Mass or rosary service. Remember to invite all members of the community, including public officials and health care workers. Strength in numbers gives others the courage to speak up and also lets the community know there is a group willing to help women in crisis pregnancies. To plan a service, councils should: Consult with their chaplain or the pastor of the local parish to establish a time and kind of service (i.e. rosary, Mass, etc.). Ask the pastor to make a pulpit or bulletin announcement regarding the program for the Day of Prayer for the Unborn Child at all Masses the weekend prior to the event. Send a notice to the local diocesan newspaper and local secular media. Distribute Prayer for Life cards (#4665), available in reasonable quantities from the Supply Department.

4 The Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child was instituted as an addition to the Order s commitment to build a culture that respects and protects every human life, from conception to natural death. For more information on the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child, see the Community section of kofc.org/service. In addition, to further assist your culture of life activities, the Supreme Council offers the following materials (all of which are free of charge when ordered in reasonable quantities; there is only a shipping charge): The four-page, full-color Winning Words of Life flyer (#2275) offers thoughtful responses to common abortion arguments. The brochure A People of Life And for Life (#4795) outlines the Order s commitment to reversing the trend toward a culture of death, and to building a culture that values human life at every stage. A poster (#4804) with a similar design is also available. Pray the Rosary to End Abortion poster (#2073) and prayer card (#2072). Gospel of Life poster (#4238) and prayer card (#4237E, F, or S) in English, French or Spanish. District Free-Throw Competition: The district level competition was held on February 7 th at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Waterford. The winners at the district level were: 9-Year Old Girls - Katie Stomma - Council 6448; 10-Year Old Girls - Gabrielle Goetz - Council 8172; 12-Year Old Girls - Audrey Jo Eshleman - Council 8172; 9-Year Old Boys - Jeremy Andreson - Council 8172; 10-Year Old Boys - Sean Olson - Council 7048; 11-Year Old Boys - Parker Roegner - Council 8172; and 13-Year Old Boys - David Keefer - Council The results of the diocesan level competitions have not yet been received. When the results are in, I will forward them to the councils.. Refund Support Vocations Program (RSVP): Most of the councils in our district already participate in this program, so this is mostly just a reminder to adopt you seminarian(s) soon if you have not already done so. Be sure to file the form in time for the refund and remember to include a copy of the canceled check. Lastly, remember that this program is not just about providing financial support to the seminarian(s), but also moral support. Members are encouraged to write letters to the seminarians, sponsor dinners for them, invite them to join the order, and perhaps most importantly, pray for vocations. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Let s continue to support those who have chosen to answer God s call to serve. Benefits: Just a reminder again, please remember to schedule a benefits night for your council sometime during the council year. The Knights of Columbus insurance program is what enables the Knights of Columbus to do the charitable giving and works it does. The money collected in per capita would not even pay for printing the Knightline for a year. Be sure to work with our field agents and general agent to help promote this part of our order. Now that every council in our district has an assigned field agent, please use him! Don t abuse him, but do use him. General agent, Ken Sosnowski is intent on having the field agents in councils where they will do the most good. A field agent is a valuable ally in recruiting and retention, so be sure to take advantage of this asset.

5 Fourth Degree Exemplification: The next Fourth Degree Exemplification is being held on Saturday, April 12 th at the Marriott Milwaukee West Hotel in Waukesha. The cost per candidate is $70.00, $35.00 for priests. For those staying overnight, the cut-off date for room reservations is April 1 st. A ladies program is also offered. Complete information is available through the Faithful Navigators of the local assemblies. A copy of the announcement and information is attached to the that is sending this report. You can also contact the Eastern Master, Roland Ransom at The Fourth Degree is the patriotic degree and is a very moving and interesting exemplification. I would encourage all third degree members to join the Fourth Degree. Family of the Month / Family of the Year: Families are the foundation upon which our Order is built. Because of the importance that the family holds for the Knights of Columbus, councils are encouraged to regularly participate in the Family of the Month and Family of the Year programs. Much of the work our councils and members do would not be possible without the help and support of their families. It is an excellent way to recognize families and to increase your council s visibility. I continue to encourage all of our councils to recognize their families through this program. Dates to Remember: a. Delegate Certification and Convention Pre-Registration Due 3/15/14 b. Men of Christ Conference 3/15/14 c. Spring Membership Blitz Order Wide 3/15-16/14 d. Orderwide Outreach Week 3/22-30/14 e. Day of the Unborn Child 3/25/14 f. State Convention 4/26-27/14 Degree Dates Scheduled in and around District 68: First Degrees: March 16 th at Michael-James Feider Council in Mukwonago / 6:30pm sign-up, 7:00pm degree April 1 st at Lakeland Council in East Troy / 6:30pm sign-up, 7:00pm degree Second Degree: TBA Third Degree: March 8 th at Racine Council #697 / 10:00am sign-up, 10:30am degree Fourth Degree: April 12, 2014 in Waukesha (Information Attached to the ing of this report)

6 District 68 Upcoming Council Events: St. Pius X Council Union Grove: 4579 Lakeland Council East Troy: State Bowling Tournament March 15 th & 16 th ; Mason/KC Dinner March 18 th ; and Tootsie Roll Drive April 25 th, 26 th, and 27 th St. Leonard Council Muskego: Men s Group Communion Service March 8 th ; Men of Christ Conference March 15 th ; Youth Awards Night March 27 th ; Pancake Breakfast March 30 th ; Men s Group Communion Service April 5 th ; and Trivia Night April 12 th Michael-James Feider Council - Mukwonago: State Bowling Tournament March 1 st and 2 nd ; Fish Fry March 7 th ; Sock Hop March 15 th ; Pancake Breakfast March 23 rd ; Fish Fry April 4 th ; Tootsie Roll Drive April 24 th 27 th ; and Pancake Breakfast April 27 th Thomas Aquinas Council Waterford: Fish Fry March 7 th ; and Membership Drive at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish March 15 th and 16 th St. Joseph Council Big Bend: Family Easter Breakfast March 30 th ; and Tootsie Roll Drive April 5 th and 6 th.